Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-04-30
1alIg grass and 9akotaiaa
a MECHANICAL coMposlIoR.

MECHANICAL c%0MP0SlTOR.
Typography Made MISUNDERSTANDING
Without N Type-A Wonderful
Machine.
The art of Typography is just now on
the eve of a great and sudden revolution.
On the LIST OF July, 1886, q machine was
set up 10 The Tribune composing room
in New York, the employment Of which
Its inventor claimed would not only
make typesetting unnecessary in news
paper, book and job printing office, but
enable printers and publishers to SUBJ
stltute comparatively unskilied labor for
that OF the compositions now employ
ed. At first this machine was operated
with more or less difficulty, aud after
it had been On trial for several months.
Mr.. Whiteiaw Reid told q correspondent,
who Published it, that while it was 10
daily use he had been troubled by the
constant changes and improvements
which the inventor desired to make in it
and that up to that time he had not
been able to depend upon it always to
do the work that was wanted at the time
when it was wanted.
Since then he must have changed his
mind, for he has ordered Ii more OF the
machines, five of which have already
been received by the Tribune, and the
other Six are almost ready for delivery.
In the meantime, a large book has been
printed by the Tribune association by
the aid OF the machine. without the set
ting OF type, and a considerable and con-
stantly increasing portion of the Daily
III r,1nnnn 30 @rndrnal Lu 49, 49,
Mr.. Reid is president of the company
that owns the right to build the ma
chimes. .. Mergeuthaler, of Baltimore.
is the inventor.
The new machine doesn't use type at
oil, but actually makes little stereotype
bars, each one just as long, as wide and
as high as 0 line of type from which q
newspaper or book is printed, each CON
tanning q line of words on lis surface,
properly justified and ready in every
respect for the printing press. These
bars may be produced singly or any
number of duplicates up to six may be
made by operation; SO that, without
s~tereotypipg or electrotyping the form
from which a page of a newspaper or
book is printed, the same matter may be
printes. simultaneously on six different
presses.
TO produce these results a rather com-
plicated machine has been invented
which it would be difficult to describe
without the use Of technical terms and
diagrams. Il shall not, therefore, at
tempt it. In general terms, the opera
tor manipulates it as he wouli q type
writer. AS he strikes the keys a series
OF corresponding dies are brought into
place, and when enough have been ar.
ranged to make a line OF print they are
automatically removed to q metal pot,
where the melted type metal is forced
into them, thus casting q OF the bars
already described. The bars are cooled
by q blast of air, while the dies go back
and are distributed by the machine to
Insir original places.
All this is accomplished automatically
without the operators suspendlng his
work, an assistant receiving the bars
after they are completed, and arranging
them IN columns After the printing
has been completed the bars are thrown
back into the metal pot and remelted,
80 that the printing is always done from
q new, fresh face, and never from worn
type.
The advantages 60 be gained by pub
fishers through the use of this machine
are many. 1t will enable them to m
ploy comparatively unskilled labor. In
three or four months q person can be-
come an expert operator upon one of
them, while it requires from three to !
five years to learn to be a fast compose.
tor. One operator and an assistant can
do as much work as Elk fast compost.
tors, thus increasing the speed with
which work can be tnrned ont AMI res
ducing its cost. There are a great |
many other minor advantages' such as
the superiority OF the work, perfect
spacing, ease with which corrections are
made. greater convenience of handling
anG making up" the matter, etc.
That the leading publishers and
printers OF the countryi appreciate the
important part which these machines
are bound to play in the business OF
printing in the future Is shown by their
eagerness to obtain them. Besides the
IL for the Tribune office, 20 more have
been ordcyed by the publisher of another
of the great daily newspapers OF this
city, Is by n and 10 by another OF the
Washington papers, 20 by a Cincinnati
daily and 20 more by one in Chicago,
besides 70 by one Of the largest book
Publishing houses in the west. The
company that is making the machines
expects to put 1000 upon the market by
January LIST, 1888.
I4HNa@ sEEEl 80 Ag - ~ 1+ 49,